My speeches and violence not linked; never spoke to Umar Khalid at JNU: Sharjeel Imam to Delhi court
2020 Delhi riots 'larger conspiracy' case: On Monday, the Supreme Court had identified a hierarchy between “architects” and “facilitators” to grant bail to five accused in the case, while rejecting bail pleas of Khalid and Imam. Of the 18 initially arrested in the case, 11 have been granted bail so far.
Sharjeel Imam, an accused in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots ‘larger conspiracy’ case and a former JNU student, told a Delhi court on Thursday that his speeches didn’t incite violence or disturb public order, leading to the riots that killed 53 people amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens.
He also argued that there was no connection between him and Umar Khalid, also a former JNU student and an accused in the case. Both have been named “masterminds” by the Delhi Police Special Cell in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act case lodged against them.
“I gave multiple speeches in Bihar and Bengal, but public order didn’t get disturbed there… The most important and credible evidence they (prosecution) rely upon is my speech. I gave my speech on December 13. Violence didn’t happen on that day… there’s no link,” Imam’s lawyers Talib Mustafa and Ahmad Ibrahim argued on his behalf.
“In five years of my stay at JNU, I never spoke to Umar Khalid. I don’t know what coordination they are talking about. To establish a conspiracy, it is necessary to show the agreement between us but they have failed to show any agreement,” Mustafa said.
On Monday, the Supreme Court had identified a hierarchy between “architects” and “facilitators” to grant bail to five accused in the case, while rejecting bail pleas of Khalid and Imam. Of the 18 initially arrested in the case, 11 have been granted bail so far.
The case of the Special Cell is that the riots, which rocked the Capital in February 2020, were the result of a months-long “deep-rooted conspiracy” allegedly hatched after the CAA got a nod from the Cabinet in December 2019.
The “conspiracy” pertained to the alleged creation of 23 protest sites — which operated 24×7 — in “Muslim majority areas”, close to mosques and main roads. According to police, the 18 accused wanted to “escalate” the protest to a chakka jam “once critical mass is generated” when then US President Donald Trump visited Delhi in 2020.
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Imam was allegedly instrumental in orchestrating chakka jams across the Capital and was one of the kingpins of the “anti-CAA protests”, who had mobilised students by giving provocative speeches. “Trump visited in February… I was in jail at that time. I can’t do anything from inside jail… None of the alleged acts assigned to me can fall under sections of the UAPA,” said Imam.
With 11 accused out on bail and the SC demarcating between the role of “participants” and “masterminds”, five others who are in jail have also either moved bail plea or are likely to at the earliest. Khalid and Imam, on the other hand, can re-apply for bail after the “protected witnesses” have been examined, or after one year, whichever comes first.
Nirbhay Thakur is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express who primarily covers district courts in Delhi and has reported on the trials of many high-profile cases since 2023.
Professional Background
Education: Nirbhay is an economics graduate from Delhi University.
Beats: His reporting spans the trial courts, and he occasionally interviews ambassadors and has a keen interest in doing data stories.
Specializations: He has a specific interest in data stories related to courts.
Core Strength: Nirbhay is known for tracking long-running legal sagas and providing meticulous updates on high-profile criminal trials.
Recent notable articles
In 2025, he has written long form articles and two investigations. Along with breaking many court stories, he has also done various exclusive stories.
1) A long form on Surender Koli, accused in the Nithari serial killings of 2006. He was acquitted after spending 2 decades in jail. was a branded man. Deemed the “cannibal" who allegedly lured children to his employer’s house in Noida, murdered them, and “ate their flesh” – his actions cited were cited as evidence of human depravity at its worst. However, the SC acquitted him finding various lapses in the investigation. The Indian Express spoke to his lawyers and traced the 2 decades journey.
2) For decades, the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has been at the forefront of the Government’s national rankings, placed at No. 2 over the past two years alone. It has also been the crucible of campus activism, its protests often spilling into national debates, its student leaders going on to become the faces and voices of political parties of all hues and thoughts. The Indian Express looked at all court cases spanning over two decades and did an investigation.
3) Investigation on the 700 Delhi riots cases. The Indian Express found that in 17 of 93 acquittals (which amounted to 85% of the decided cases) in Delhi riots cases, courts red-flag ‘fabricated’ evidence and pulled up the police.
Signature Style
Nirbhay’s writing is characterized by its procedural depth. He excels at summarizing 400-page chargesheets and complex court orders into digestible news for the general public.
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